Council authorizes filing county ditch petition to repair farm drainage

The council advanced Resolution 164-26, authorizing the safety-service director to file a ditch petition with the county to repair a ditch that affects city farm property and crosses non-city land.

Lisa Jackman, the resolution sponsor, explained the ditch extends onto county-owned property and the city must file with the county engineer. Staff described the process: a $1,500 bond is required with the petition, the county engineer draws maps and evaluates the claim, the county typically holds three public hearings, then the county estimates the work and either performs or bids it out. Costs are assessed to property owners proportionally by watershed share; if the petition is accepted, the ditch becomes part of county ditch maintenance and property owners may face an annual assessment (staff said the annual maintenance assessment could be up to 2% of the total project cost allocated to owners).

Council asked about posting maps for public information; staff said they would consult the county engineer and the law director to ensure accurate public messaging as the process proceeds. The resolution moved forward after motion and second.